Cyanobacterial Exopolysaccharides: Extraction, Processing, and Applications

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) extraction from cyanobacteria is an effective biotechnological approach with imperious applications in different industries. Cyanobacteria being photoautotrophic organisms show diverse cellular arrangements under stressful environmental conditions like exposure to desiccation, ultraviolent radiation, and high temperature or pressure. These cyanobacteria, because of their environment-friendly nature and fast growth, are considered as a renewable source to produce exopolysaccharides with applications in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics production, treatment of wastewater, heavy metal removal, and many more. Most of the research is conducted on the extraction of exopolysaccharides, like the use of conventional alcoholic precipitation, tangential filtration, and certain other alternative methods in addition to the bioprocessing of exopolysaccharides from cyanobacteria. Currently, scientists are working on the manipulation of cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides by developing cultures and processes, so that better production of exopolysaccharides can be attained. This chapter highlights the structural and physicochemical characterization of the EPS. Furthermore, it highlights the protocols for the enhancement, processing, and extraction of EPS along with the potential applications of cyano-EPS in different fields of bio-industry.